Studios take film sites seriously

July 09, 2009 The site, like hundreds of other niche-oriented filmgoer sites that have cropped up the past few years, is packed with Faraci's largely fawning accounts of studio-enabled visits to the sets of such movies as "The Hangover," "Land of the Lost" and "Watchmen" and one-on-one interviews with stars and filmmakers including Daniel Craig and Judd Apatow. The studios, which once regarded the sites and their scribes with a mixture of fear and disdain now incorporate into their publicity campaigns a wide swath of online writers repping demographics and psychographics far beyond the traditional fanboy hubs -- everyone from faith-oriented mothers (MovieMom.com) to senior citizens (ReelGeezers.com). "They're a very trusted source for these people because I think they feel they are much more one of them," says Michael Tritter, senior vp interactive marketing at Warner Bros.

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